a. to investigate, examine, inquire into, scrutinize, sift, question": Acts 17:11 (τάς γραφάς); 1 Corinthians 10:25, 27 (not anxiously questioning, namely, whether the meat set before you be the residue from heathen sacrifices). Specifically, in a forensic sense (often also in Greek writings) of a judge, to hold an investigation; to interrogate, examine, the accused or the witnesses; absolutely: Luke 23:14; Acts 24:8. τινα, Acts 12:19; Acts 28:18; passive, Acts 4:9. Paul has in mind this judicial use (as his preceding term ἀπολογία shows) when in 1 Corinthians 9:3 he speaks of τοῖς ἐμέ ἀνακρίνουσί, investigating me, whether I am a true apostle.

b. universally, to judge of, estimate, determine (the excellence or defects of any person or thing): τί, 1 Corinthians 2:15; τινα, 1 Corinthians 4:3f; passive, 1 Cor. 2:(),; . (Cf. Lightfoot Fresh Revision, etc. iv. § 3 (p. 67f, American edition).)

Strong’s Greek 350 depicts a deliberate, searching examination—whether of facts in a courtroom, of teaching in the synagogue, or of motives in the believer’s heart. Sixteen New Testament occurrences cluster in two arenas: Luke-Acts records formal investigations before civil or religious authorities, while 1 Corinthians applies the idea to spiritual discernment and conscientious self-scrutiny.

Judicial Investigation in Luke-Acts

1. Luke 23:14; Acts 12:19; Acts 24:8; Acts 28:18 show Roman officials (Pilate, Herod’s cohort, Lysias, and the centurions at Malta) “examining” charges and finding no legal basis to condemn Jesus or Paul.
2. Acts 4:9 employs the verb for a hearing before the Sanhedrin after the healing of a lame man: “If we are being examined today….”
3. These narratives underline God’s providence in protecting His servants through lawful process and display the consistency between civil justice and divine purpose. Even unbelieving authorities become reluctant witnesses to the innocence of Christ and His apostles.

The Berean Pattern

Acts 17:11 commends Jews in Berea who “examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.” Their example illustrates that honest inquiry, far from undermining faith, safeguards the church from error and advances gospel understanding. The verb carries no hint of skepticism for its own sake; rather, it reflects reverent diligence.

Spiritual Discernment in 1 Corinthians 2

Paul retools the forensic term for the Spirit-empowered appraisal of truth:
• “The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God…because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
• “The spiritual man judges all things” (1 Corinthians 2:15).

Here the action shifts from courtroom to conscience. The believer, taught by the Spirit, is equipped to sift teaching, values, and circumstances, yet remains accountable to God alone.

Self-Assessment of Ministry and Motives

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 shows Paul resisting human tribunals—“It matters very little to me that I should be judged by you or by any human court… it is the Lord who judges me.” Ministry is weighed primarily before Christ, the righteous Judge. The same root occurs in 1 Corinthians 9:3 where Paul answers those who “examine” his apostolic credentials.

Corporate Discernment in Worship

In 1 Corinthians 14:24, prophetic words spoken in the assembly bring conviction to an unbeliever because “he is judged by all.” Congregational examination of prophecy guards purity of doctrine and fosters genuine repentance.

Conscience and Christian Liberty

1 Corinthians 10:25, 27 instruct believers to eat marketplace meat “without raising questions of conscience” unless informed it was sacrificed to idols. Discernment operates not to create scruples but to maintain a clear conscience before God and consideration for weaker brothers.

Historical Setting

Greco-Roman procedure valued preliminary inquiry (cognitio) before formal trial, and Jewish councils used questioning to establish fact (Deuteronomy 17:4). Luke-Acts reflects these customs, accurately portraying terminology and sequence. The Spirit thus inspired Scripture within its historical milieu while directing its message for all generations.

Ministerial Implications

• Preachers must present doctrine open to Berean scrutiny, confident that truth will stand examination.
• Elders are called to evaluate teaching and character, applying the same searching standard to themselves.
• Believers cultivate a discerning mind by the Word and the Spirit, avoiding gullibility on one side and cynicism on the other.
• The church, faced with cultural pressure, relies on careful investigation rather than rumor or emotion.

Christological Focus

Jesus Himself submitted to human examination yet was vindicated as spotless. Every subsequent use of the verb echoes His pattern: investigations, whether judicial or spiritual, ultimately attest the righteousness of God revealed in Christ.

Summary

Strong’s 350 traces a trajectory from courtroom inquiry to Spirit-led discernment. Whether protecting the innocent, confirming doctrine, guiding conscience, or exposing sin, the verb underscores the call to rigorous, truth-loving examination anchored in Scripture and fulfilled in Christ.